


First Impressions

by Thatkliqkid



Category: The A-Team
Genre: Gen, Vietnam War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-13
Updated: 2011-11-13
Packaged: 2017-10-26 01:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/276822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkliqkid/pseuds/Thatkliqkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally written 4th October 2011. One scene, four different points of view. The A Team meet Murdock for the first time during a rescue flight in Vietnam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Impressions

Momma always said in times of crisis the best thing to do was get on your knees and pray. Right now I ain't got room to kneel, but I got my hands clasped so tight together I swear the knuckles gonna turn white.

It was a simple search an' destroy. No different from usual. Meant to be a piece 'o cake. Jus' like Hannibal to curse us all with that sayin'. Man, soon as he said it I knew we was doomed. Even Faceman knew it since he shot him one of those famous "you gotta be kiddin' me" looks.

But we went anyway. Ain't no refusin' in a war. Ain't no refusin' the Colonel. Went with Hannibal's dumb sayin' ringin' in our ears. It followed us through the jungle like some bully kid back home, teasin' us all along the river 'til we came to the VC camp.

That's when hell broke loose. Someone had miscounted. Intelligence messed up again.

Had to hold 'em off 'til the chopper got here. Took its sweet time jus' as usual.

An' now we being shot at, stuck in a fire-fight in the air. Pretty sure the other side is winnin' by the sounds hittin' off the Huey.

If Charlie don't kill us, that fool up front will. I don't like most rescue flights, don't like flyin' period but I do it 'cause I have to and ain't no one callin' B.A. Baracus a coward. Sometimes it ain't so bad, gotta keep my mind on Charlie an' not the fact that we flyin' through the air with nothin' but metal an' trees waitin' to break our fall to the ground if it crashes. Usually the pilots ain't so bad. Hannibal an' Face can usually con me that it's gonna be okay. But this time it's different.

This man's crazy, sittin' up front with his helmet on crooked, some warnin' 'bout UFOs scrawled across the back, makin' the darn thing lurch side to side, like he at the controls of a roller coaster 'stead of a helicopter. Keeps singin' and talkin' nonsense, jibber jabbin' to himself, tellin' 'bout how we soon gonna be back listenin' to the sweet tones of Hanoi Hannah, his mouth's movin' faster than those chopper blades, he keeps goin', don't seem like he even knows how to shut up, it's like he don't even care we bein' shot at.

Ain't just me that thinks there's somethin' strange about this guy. Some of the other guys in the chopper are whisperin' amongst themselves, talkin' 'bout how he ain't right in the head. Ain't been right for a while now if that smile's anythin' to go by. Ain't natural to be this happy, not when you bein' shot at. He got himself a reputation, 'Howlin' Mad' is right.

Faceman ain't lookin' too happy neither. Hannibal's grinning like he got some great idea in his head, it's a small grin, directed at that crazy man, like they havin' a contest to see who can react the most inappropriate given the situation we in an' then it's gone when he hears a nasty ping a little too close to where he's sittin'.

Bullets are gettin' closer. Last one winged just past the Colonel's ear.

Now the ground's gettin' farther away. VC startin' to look like ants as they keep tryin' to shoot us down.

An' Momma, I'm praying even harder, eyes shut too because that fool up there jus' pulled us too close to the sky, keeps goin' up like he's headin' to burn us all on the sun. I swear if I fell out right now I'd touch clouds, Faceman's grabbin' his seat yellin' at Hannibal 'bout how the guy piloting this thing's clearly outta his mind, didn't he see how he nearly got us tangled up in those trees, an' dear God is he gonna kill us all?

An' crazy man is laughin' real loud, like it's the funniest thing in the world, askin' if we really think he'd let such a beautiful bird as this one get demoted to a buzz saw, says he flyin' us home to base, ain't lookin' to make no timber.

Jus' sittin' there laughin' like he ain't got a care in the world.

An' I swear , if an' when we touch the ground, I'm gonna kill that fool.

The ping ping ping has stopped, there's jus' the sound of blades now, slicin' through the air. Fool's laughter silenced. I open my eyes an' look around. We alive. Jus'.

Hannibal's got that look in his eyes, like he's impressed with this pilot who's tryin' to kills us faster than Charlie.

Like he's special 'stead of jus' a crazy fool.

An' I get this real bad feelin' in my guts, 'cause I know, when the colonel gets that look it means he's plottin' somethin' I'm really not gonna like.

It seems to take forever to get back to base. There's more lurchin' and swayin' like we 'bout to be thrown from the sky jus' because the pilot ain't got no idea how to fly straight.

The whisperin' is getting' louder an' Hannibal's startin' to get annoyed.

Finally, we land back at base, it ain't the most comfortable landin' we ever had. The helicopter don't look whole when we stumble out. Faceman looks a little green.

Most of the unit start headin' to the mess tent, they ain't lookin' to stick around the chopper. They talkin' about beer an' forgettin'. Don't look like the Huey'll fly again anytime soon anyhow.

The pilot is standin' there watchin' 'em go, a real wide grin on his face, chewing gum as he does.

"You're welcome" he calls after the men, real cheerful, like he jus' done us all some big favour. Like he ain't nearly drove us all to our deaths.

I can't help it, it's like my hands don't wanna listen to my brain 'cause all of a sudden they 'round his jacket and they're grippin' him tight.

An' he's not lookin' so cheerful no more, jus' confused.

"Welcome? Welcome for what sucker? You nearly killed us all!" My voice is louder than it should be, an' my hands have no right bein' this close to an officer's throat but he doesn't seem to care what he's done, how he's flown so reckless and nearly got us killed an' darn it if that don't make me furious.

"I just saved your lives,"

He sounds real agitated when he says it, like he's sick of gettin' no gratitude for what he does. Like he's had this argument a thousand times before.

If he flies everyone they way he flew us, I ain't surprised he gets no thank yous.

"Saved our lives?", Faceman's soundin' jus' as confused as I am. Probably remembering the two or three close calls we had on the way back here. Probably saw the light an' everythin'.

An' then Hannibal's beside us, an' he definitely ain't lookin' happy.

"Stand down Sergeant," he says, his voice harder than usual. I release the pilot, he's glarin' now, turns his attention to Hannibal when the Colonel starts speakin' to him.

He's thankin' him. Actually thankin' him for the way he flew. Tellin' him he ain't never seen nobody fly like that before an' askin' him who his CO is.

An' I just stare. It's like Hannibal don't realise how crazy this guy is, like he wants to be his buddy instead of reportin' him for endangering a whole platoon.

Face looks like he's tryin' to work out which one's crazier, the pilot or the colonel.

He's introducin' himself now, tryin' ta shake hands like he ain't never been so glad to meet folk before.

A warm smile an' a "Howlin' Mad Murdock," like he don't even sense me an' Faceman think he's weird.

Man I knew he was aptly named.

An' then he's gone, tellin' us he gotta go report back to General Johnson, promising to catch us later.

Hannibal watches him go, an' the way he stares it's like the wheels are turnin' - like he just can't get some idea outta his head.

I swear if I never see that crazy fool again it'll be too soon.


End file.
